Just because you can buy it doesn’t mean it’s safe

The state Health Department’s growing investigation into cases of liver damage linked to a diet pill highlights that consumers should be as cautious about taking over-the-counter dietary supplements as they are about medication requiring a doctor’s prescription.

Several dozen cases of acute hepatitis or sudden liver failure have been reported in Hawaii, and one person has died. The supplement OxyELITE Pro, marketed as a fat burner, has been pulled from stores.

The FDA website provides information about how to avoid risky over-the-counter dietary supplements — which are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for safety — and the tragic cases unfolding in Hawaii may remind us all to heed the advice.

There’s nothing for a dog to do at the mall anyway

Just like the thoughtless able-bodied motorists who snag easy-access parking spots reserved for the handicapped, some self-centered shoppers are abusing the system that allows disabled folks to bring service animals into restaurants, retail stores and other places where pets are not allowed. They slap a vest or backpack that says "service animal" on their pets and head to the mall, with no thought for the businesses and customers their untrained animal may inconvenience.

The issue revolves around dogs, mostly, and is getting to be such a problem that one high-profile advocate for the disabled wants the U.S. Justice Department to intervene. It will be a shame if it takes a federal law to get a few selfish people to do the right thing.